


Don't Hug me I'm Scared

by baboby



Series: The Life of Sage Woods After Dakota Winchester [2]
Category: With Every Heartbeat (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Moving On, Television Watching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29203422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baboby/pseuds/baboby
Summary: Watching the Haunting of the Braidwood Mansion with her friends turns out to be a big moment in Sage's and Arman's relationship.orMaybe Sage is ready to move on?
Relationships: (Mentioned) Dakota Winchester/Main Character (With Every Heartbeat), Main Character/Original Character (With Every Heartbeat)
Series: The Life of Sage Woods After Dakota Winchester [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2144121
Kudos: 3





	Don't Hug me I'm Scared

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, now I made a cute sequel because Arman deserves to have his hard work rewarded and Sage deserves to be happy after all.

_**everybody have their snacks yet????** _

_**I am just waiting for the delivery guy to bring my pizza.**_ Sage read Amy text as she waited for her microwave salted caramel popcorn recipe to be done. She had a bottle of air spray ready to mask the incriminatory smell before Paige was back.

_**In what world is pizza a movie snack???**_ She asked with one hand as she set her laptop as well as candy snacks on her bed.

They had planned to start watching a new series together for some time, and they finally had the perfect weekend to do so. No finals, no exams, no training today. Amy was still a little busy, but again, it was _Amy_.

_**After this, I have a group study, so I am going to take the rest of the pizza.** _

_**How generous of you.** _

_**I prefer to call it smart, It is the perfect excuse to fill my craves and be a hero to the students in need ;D** _

Sage was writing a snark reply, but Amy cut her off.

_**And I really, really put all of this on a tight schedule, so let’s start it now!!!  
Don’t want to be late.** _

_**Sent you all the invites!!! Let’s get this party started \o/\o/\o/\o/**_ Mateo texted and Sage started the screen-sharing app on her computer and quickly went to grab her popcorn and put it on a bowl.

“Okay, everybody ready?” Mateo's voice came through the speakers.

“My pizza is not here yet.” Amy whined a little.

“You are the one that is rushing everybody.” Lennox's voice was judging but not in a serious manner. “Oh, look, apparently Sage turned into a pillow.”

“Saaaage.” Mateo sang her name in a ghost manner. “We are going to begiiiiin our seeeeeession”.

She scrambles back to her bed with her popcorn. “I’m here, I’m here.” She flopped into the mattress being careful to not let the caramel-covered kernels fall on her bed. “Just getting my popcorn.”

“Amy groaned. “Urgh, are those your salted caramel popcorn?”

She threw a few into her mouth and winked at her friend. “Yep.”

“I miss them.” Amy pouted.

“Good for you, because I never had those!” Mateo complained. “We are friends for almost the same time, how have you never made it for us?”

“Say it for you, defused bomb,” Lennox smirked. “I already ate them before. It’s pretty good.”

“When did you eat them?” Mateo asked and Lennox shrugged.

“Don’t remember. You were still in the hospital.”

“Oh, right. I made some for my study session with Amy, and you came after. I don’t remember offering you them though.” Lennox shrugs again.

“Never said you did.”

Amy rolls her eyes with half-hearted intent, and Mateo just shakes his head. “Are we going to watch the movie or not?” Lennox asks, crossing her arms.

“We are watching a mini-series, Lennox.” Mateo clarifies. “Four hours of intense content baby.”

“Can we start it now? I really have to go to that study group after.” Amy’s phone receives a notification. “Okay, pizza is here. Just hit play already. I’ll be right back.”

Amy left her screen and Sage, made herself comfy on the bed with her popcorn bowl on her lap and connected her earplugs.

The credits had just finished when Amy returned with a bottle of soda and two slices of pepperoni pizza. All of them shared the scream with the tv show. Making four windows in total for each one of them. Lennox was resting against her headboard between a few pillows, crossing her legs and without her prosthetic. Mateo was sitting at his desk, with his bed behind him, on the bedside table, there was a portrait Sage knew was from the Edenbrook Prom Night. Amy was sitting on the floor back against the couch of her dorm with the computer sitting on the coffee table.

Sage smiled at the scene, she missed all of them so much. Even if they weren’t close, they could still be like this. Amy had been a little uncertain about the future of their friendship for a while: Dakota had died, she moved across the country, Sage didn’t know either of them for that long.

Still, she was proved wrong, because as time went by, their bond became even more strong. Not only because of Dakota or their memories of him but despite their baggage together.

Moments like this filled them with good memories and longing for the time that passed, but they continued. Together. Remembering. Growing, with each other to support.

_Dakota would be so proud of us._ Sage thought, her heart swelling with warmth. She let the feeling go focusing again on her friends and the program they had agreed to watch.

____

Sage came to her senses after fifteen minutes of the first episode. She _hated_ horror movies.

She watched them with Dakota before, sure, but she spent most of her time hiding in his chest. Now that he was not here, why the hell had she agreed with this?

To make things worse, she was all alone in her dorm. Paige would not come home until later that night. Great. No reason to be scared. It didn’t matter that the protagonist’s dorm was _really_ similar to hers, and was where the monstrous ghost first appeared. No reason at all to be scared.

Sage silently promised herself she would put salt on the doorstep and windows at the first bathroom break.

They were barely past the first half of the second episode when a loud thump at her door made her jump.

“Oh my god! We lost Sage! We lost her!” Mateo shrieked.

“Ah! Mateo, don’t scare me like that.” Amy screamed back at him. Lennox looked barely interested.

“Shhh” Sage pressed her finger against her lips. “I think there is someone at my door.” Mateo had stopped the series. Safe watched her closed door, wondering why the evil spirits would bother knocking. Her friends watched her.

“Go answer it?” Amy said like it was the most logical thing in the world.

There was a loud knock on her door again, and Sage's heart jumped to her throat before a voice called her. “Sage? Are you there?”

Relief coursed through her. She knew the voice.

“It’s not a spirit.” Lennox pouted. “It’s Arman. I will be right back.” She took off her earbuds, ignoring how Lennox and Amy's expression perked up at the comment.

“Who is Arman?” Was the last thing she heard Mateo ask before going to her door. She consciously made the effort of not looking at the mirror before opening the door. She already knew what she looked like today. Arman was her _friend_. Only that. There was no reason to make extra sure her hair was in place to open the door for a _friend_.

But it didn’t hurt to dab her mouth to get rid of any crumbles or smooth her shirt.

She opened the door and Armand was there ready to knock again, looking like his handsome self. His hair had styled his hair and let a stubble beard grow over the months. He looked good.

Not that Sage noticed or anything.

“Hey! What’s up?” Arman looked her up and down giving her a curious look.

“Okay, I am going to assume you forgot about the Poetry Slam we would go to today.”

“Oh my god! It was today?” Sage went back to her bed and picked her phone checking her calendar. There it was the sneaky little notification. “Shit. Sorry Arman, I already have other plans for today. I am watching a new show with my friends from Boston. Well, not new, but just entered the streaming catalog, so we wanted to give it a try.”

“What show is it?”

“The Haunting of the Braidwood Mansion”.

“Oh, nice!” He smiled with a childlike gleam. “I wanted to watch it for a long time. People on the internet reviewed the show as one with the better looking burned corpses costumes.” Sage stared at him disgusted.

“ _Better_ looking?” He smiled embarrassedly at her.

“Okay, _realistically_ looking, would be a better way to phrase it. It doesn't look like this is amusing for you if I might say.”

Sage sighed. “I hate horror movies. Never understood why people would like to be scared. It’s not for me.” She remembered the movie dates at the hospital, and the time they sneaked out to tell scary stories with Lennox and Mateo. “Dakota used to love them, though.” She laughed. “A lot of our date nights were watching those types of things. I mean, he was watching. I mostly hid.”

Arman gave out his signature warm laugh. “So you guys were that cliche couple that goes to watch horror movies so the guy has an excuse to hug the girl?” Sage smiles back at him and shrugs.

“Yeah, you could say that.”

They look at each other smiling for a moment, before a notification startled Sage to look at her phone. There was a message from Amy.

_**come back Sage!!!! We need to finish it.  
I’m going for a bathroom break now, but it’s better you be at your seat by the time I’m back.** _

_**You heard the woman Sage!**_ Mateo texted.   
_**Btw, Ames is way bossier than Lennox when she is on schedule, and I never thought it was possible for someone to be bossier than Lennox**_

_**I am going to take that as a challenge ‘waiting list’.** _

_**Please don’t.** _

“Sorry, I have to go back.” Sage pointed to her bed. “My candy lair is waiting for me.”

“Sure, don’t let them hanging.” Arman winked at her, still standing by the door. Sage should go for a goodbye hug. They were already in a place in their friendship where hugs were common between them. Instead, she found herself blabbering the words before she could get a hold of them. “Do you want to watch with us? I don’t think you met Mateo or Lennox yet.” Technically, Arman had met Amy before at “the incident”, but it didn’t matter, because right now Sage had invited Amar for something she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted him in. And worst: She wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to be in.

Sage knew that Arman had some type of interest in her. She wasn’t that slow with those types of things. If he had tried something, she would have cut him off. She had told him when they first hung out together, she wasn’t interested in anything with anyone at that point, and he understood that.

Arman had been nothing more than a good friend and a gentleman with her. He let her set the pace of their relationship, while still hitting his interest in a subtle manner, and assuring her that he had all the time and patience for her and that he was happy with their relationship.

They talked about everything: About Dakota, about Farah, about College, their friends, families, expectations, hopes, and dreams. Sage recently talked more with Arman than her friends in Boston or than Paige.

They went to a lot of friend-dates, because of the similarities in their interests (or as Sage mostly assumed, because Arman wanted to cheer her up). Arman frequented her room and it was normal and _friendly_.

This right now it was different.

It concerned her friends in Boston, the friends who knew Dakota and it concerned Dakota himself. Watching horror movies with Amy, Mateo, and Lennox was one thing. Watching horror movies with them and Arman was a whole different experience.

Because the other person that participated in those group activities with them had been only Dakota.

Sage tried to play this to herself like it wasn’t a big deal for her, except it was.

She was scared of what it meant for them now. This different new step. She was also scared that this would be too much for him.

Watching horror movies - her dead ex-boyfriend's favorite genre - with her hometown friends with who he never exchanged two words (and that also were Dakota’s friends). Maybe she was asking too much of Armin while giving too little. She was scared he could accept her offer and change something, as she was scared he would turn her down and close this door forever.

“Are you sure I’m not intruding?” Arman asked cautiously.

“Not at all. I mean, if you have other plans don’t feel oblig-'' Arman interrupted her.

“My plans today were with you, I would love to watch it with you.” He gave her his earth-shattering smile. “And your friends, if they are okay with it, I mean.” Sage nodded, already pulling Arman inside the room.

“They will love to meet you.” She pointed to her laptop. “Make yourself comfortable. I am going to grab you a drink.” She stopped for a second. “Don’t let Lennox scare you out, and if she does, don’t show it. She smells your fear.” Before Arman could answer, Amy already was out of her room to grab something from the vending machine down the corridor.

When she came back with two soda cans, Sage realized the small detail she hadn’t considered. Her laptop was on her bed, the place she had been watching the series. Now Arman was on her bed. Laptop open. Chatting with her friends.

_Cool_.

She went to the bed trying to give her best poker face. _She had been the one who told him to be comfortable._ But then as she handed him his drink she realized something that made her heart skip a beat.

Arma had gathered her candies and put them as well as her popcorn bowl on top of a pillow, arranging the rest of her pillows between them. He had moved her blanket to what was now her side of the bed.

It was a small barrier, easy to tear apart if she wanted to without making a fuzz, and discreet enough to don’t look awkward. She sat on the bed keeping the pillows where they were. Arman just looked at her and smiled. He was still respecting her space and her time. Sage smiled back at him.

“So… _Sage_ ” Mateo's voice brought her back to reality, dripping with a teasing tone. “Funny you never mentioned you had other plans today.”

“I forgot about it.” She shrugs. “Guys, this is Arman, he is a good friend of mine.” She ignored her friend's pointed looks. “Arman, meet Mateo, Lennox, two of my best friends. I asked him if he wanted to watch with us so I didn’t bail on him. If it’s okay with you guys?.”

“That depends,” Mateo asks with a childlike grin. “How do you feel about scary ghosts roaming around the house? What would be your survival strategy?”

Arman considers for a second. “I am not really into supernatural things. But I guess I would pour salt on the entrances. That works right? Probably would give me some time to research how to get it out of my back.”

Mateo nods. “That’s a smart answer. It’s good to know that Sage is now picking the brains over the looks. Even if your looks are on point too. Man life isn’t fair.” Sage gave Mateo a look, and Arman only looked amused.

“That’s a lame strategy. You should use Sage as bait for the ghosts. They can smell her fear. The scary cat will buy you some time.” Lennox snarked playfully.

“Geez, thank you _bestie._ ” Sage answered exasperated, but Arman only gave his booming laugh before nudging her shoulders. He looked back at Lennox's image on the screen.

“Nah, I think I would prefer to save the scary cat than leaving her behind.” The way he said that looking back at her, made Sage's heart jump a little on her chest. Mateo's mouth hung slightly open at the answer, and Lennox tried to hide her approving expression behind her stoic gaze.

“Okay I am back we can-” Amy's image came back into the screen. “Oh, hello Arman. What are you doing here?”

He waved. “Hi, Amy. Sage asked me if I wanted to watch the movies with you guys.”

Amy frowned. “But it’s not a movie. And we already are in the middle of the second episode. Do you guys want to start again from the beginning? I don’t think I have time for…” Mateo slapped his hand on his forehead and Lennox rolled her eyes before typing something on her phone. Amy's cell phone buzzed with a notification. Her eyes widened a little. “Oh. Okay them. If it is not a problem let’s keep watching.”

“Yes please.” Sage groaned back her response hiding inside her blanket for two reasons. The first being that they had paused the show in a particularly gruesome scene, and she had been scared for her life before. And second, that after this embarrassing altercation, she didn’t want to face Arman’s gleamed expression and knowing smirk.

But soon all her embarrassment died. Because the guy was a prick. He teased her all the time, saying “it’s okay the scene is over now” so when Sagehair popped behind her shield blanket to watch the screen again, the scene was nowhere near its end.

Lennox, Mateo, and Amy had joined the tormenting game, and Sage promised herself she would look for new best friends.

“I hate all of you.” She said not taking the blanket of her face. “I am not going to watch anything anymore.”

That was when she felt it. Under the pillows, Arman’s hand looked for hers. He squeezed it giving her some comfort, interlacing their fingers and not letting her go.

Sage let the blanket fall and gave a side glance in the direction of the man. His expression hadn’t changed at all. His eyes just looked a little softer. Sage watched the rest of the show with some ease. She held Arman's hand until the final credits began to roll.

“Okay, that was fun.” Mateo whistled. “No need to sleep for a week I suppose. Arman, what did you say about the salt earlier?”

“Pour it on the windows and doors Mateo. If something happens… You call Lennox for help. I am too far away.” Arman winked at Mateo and Lennox gave an evil smile.

“I would love to hunt down the ghosts.”

“I think I prefer the ghosts, them.” Mateo said and Lennox arched her eyebrows.

“Suit yourself. Don’t call me crying when they hunt you down and hide in your closet.”

“I am pretty sure this is the boogie man behavior.” She shrugs.

“I guess you will have to find out for yourself since my help was denied.”

Sage gave a small laugh as she rolled her eyes at her friends. She moved her hand a little and found that Arman still had his hand close to hers. Her heart did a little flip.

“That was fun guys, but I have to go now to my study group.”

“Okay, are we just going to ignore the fact that we saw Amy engulf the entire pizza all by herself during the series?” Mateo asked, looking at all of them. “Understood. See you later Amy.” Sage and Lennox smiled as Amy rolled her eyes at Mateo's bright face. She waved at them ending the call.

“I have to go too.” Lennox gave Sage a pointed look. “Have fun.” Just like that she left the chat without bothering with goodbyes.

“That’s Lennox for you.” Mateo said, giving his signature easygoing laugh. “Hope she doesn't scare you away with just that Arman.” Arman shakes his head.

“Not scared on this front here. Lennox looks like a cool girl actually.” Sage and Mateo stared at him blankly.

“It’s okay man, no need to lie.” Silence. “Oh my God Sage, I don’t think he's lying. Arman, you are an incredibly brave man. Or just an idiot. I don’t know what is worse. Either way, it was a pleasure knowing you.” Mateo makes a salute and he looks at his cell phone. “Argh! Lennox sent me scary pictures again! Great, now I’m really not going to be able to sleep tonight.” He sighs. “I have to go now, guys. Maybe rinse my eyes with bleach to take Lennox pictures out of my mind. Bye Sage. Goodbye Arman”

They both answered at the same time. “Bye Mateo.” “Nice to meet you, man.”

As Mateo shut off his screen a silence filled the room. Sage wasn’t sure of what she should do now. But before she could say anything, Arman was up back on his feet.

“It was nice getting to know your other friends.” Arman stretched his arms up and cracked his neck. “Thanks for inviting me, Sage. I had fun.”

She nodded and asked before she could second guess herself. “Are you really not affected by these types of things?”

Arman shugs. “Not really. I mean there are some good productions out there, but horror usually is an overexploited genre to me.” He considers her for a second. “Do you like it though? Because it looks like it affects you a lot.” Sage realizes Arman sounded worried.

“It’s not like I really hate it.” She gets up from the bed and starts to clear the crumbles that had fallen on it. Arman picks the candy wrappers to throw them in the trash, helping her. Sage continues. “It’s like Lennox said. I am a scary cat. But it is somehow thrilling to see people making bad decisions in movies making me feel all invested.” She remembers something and gives a small laugh. “Dakota said it was cute when I cursed the main characters. But this was just for the trash movies. When it was something from Nolan he gently reminded me to stay quiet.” She smiles and Arman smiles back.

“He wanted to direct horror movies, right? I guess he was amazed that even a scary cat like you left her fear aside to watch his favorites movies with him. Even if you would not do it on your own.”

“It’s so funny. I have no problem doing horror scenes. I know they are fake. But when I see them on the screen.” She shivers. “It’s so scary!”

“Do you have any horror works?” Arman asks.

“Yeah, Dakota is the reason I got into acting, actually. My first role was at his first movie for a student film festival.” Sage remembers those days. The editing, the recording, his process. The festival and his accomplishments. All that her Dakota made in life.

“I would love to watch it someday,” Arman said to her with sincerity in his voice but sadness in his eyes. Sage knew it was because he had seen the sadness on hers.

“Maybe another time.” She answered somewhat uncomfortable, then jokes. “But not today, I had way too much horror content for a week. I am probably just going to binge-watch the last AME season.”

Arman groans. “That sounds fun.”

Sage thinks for a second, considering, but quickly she makes her mind. “Do you want to watch with me?”

The look Aman shoots her it’s quizzical. He hesitates for a second before answering. “... Sure.”

“Okay, I am going to get us more popcorn then.”

Sage goes to prepare the popcorn and control her heartbeat as well as her flaming hot face. She opens the camera on her cellphone. The blush is barely visible under her dark complexion, but she still feels the warmth on her face. She pats her cheeks trying to cool them down.

She thinks of Dakota. His easy smiles, his boyish grin. The adoration looks he threw at her.

Then she thinks of Arman. His teasing and easy going nature, his handsome smirks, and the gleam in his eyes when she was with him.

Her heart didn’t feel heavy with guilt.

It felt free.

She came back to the bed and Arman was waiting for her. She stopped by the bed and he smiled at her. Sage smiled back. Then she sat on the bed picking the pillows and putting them behind them, tearing down the barrier Arman had built. With the bowl of popcorn on her lap, she didn’t dare to look at Arman’s face as she hit play on the show. Arman didn’t say anything, neither moved.

“Thanks for staying with me today.” She says in a small voice, not sure he had heard her until Arman answers.

“There is nowhere else I’d want to be right now.” Sage rested against her pillows not daring to move closer. She already had taken a big step.

Somewhere during the second episode, Arman wrapped his arms around Sage’s shoulders.

She didn’t take it off and snuggled closer.

Her heart was like a feather. She had taken a big step in the right direction and she was proud of herself.

**Author's Note:**

> All my MC's are black, but be free to fill your headcanon in.
> 
> Please leave your kudos and comments, especially suggestions for the future (or past) of those two.


End file.
